Top Fuel and Funny Car To Race 1,000 Feet

[gsharapa]

In interim measure, Top Fuel, Funny Car to race 1,000 feet

As the investigation continues into the tragic accident that took the life of driver Scott Kalitta, NHRA has announced that beginning at the Mopar Mile High Nationals in Denver, Colo., both the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes will race to 1,000 feet instead of the traditional 1,320 feet or one-quarter mile. This is an interim step that is being taken while NHRA continues to analyze and determine whether changes should be made to build upon the sport's long standing safety record, given the inherent risks and ever-present dangers associated with the sport.

This interim change was made by NHRA in collaboration with professional race teams. NHRA believes that racing the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes to 1,000 feet will allow NHRA and the racing community time to evaluate, analyze and implement potential changes based on the safety initiatives outlined last week.

With the change, fans will still be able to enjoy the sights, sounds and thrill of NHRA nitro racing with speeds around 300 mph and quick elapsed times to 1,000 feet.

Over the years, NHRA has implemented many initiatives to enhance safety including measures to limit speeds from increasing, personal protective gear, vehicle improvements, and track enhancements such as sand traps, catch nets and concrete barriers the entire length of the drag strip.

In the wake of the tragic series of events that took Kalitta's life, the following technical issues are currently under investigation: 1) what might be done to reduce engine failures; 2) parachute mounting techniques and materials as well as identifying a parachute material that could be more fire resistant; 3) exploring whether there is a way to increase brake efficiency when cars lose downforce due to the loss of the body; 4) analyzing additional methods that might be developed at the top end of the race track to help arrest runaway vehicles; 5) considering whether current speeds should be further limited or reduced to potentially improve safety.

“The board members of the Professional Racers Owners Organization (PRO) wholeheartedly and unanimously support this decision,” said its president Kenny Bernstein. “We want to thank NHRA for listening to our input and suggestions to incorporate these changes. It is not lost on any of us that this constitutes a change in our history of running a quarter-mile, but it's the most immediate adjustment we can make in the interest of safety which is foremost on everyone's mind. This may be a temporary change and we recognize it is not the total answer. We will continue to work hand in hand with NHRA to evaluate other methods of making Top Fuel and Funny Car competition safer so that we might return to our quarter-mile racing standard. We also want to thank Connie Kalitta for his invaluable input. He has been a rock through these difficult times.”

[Silverback51]

Wonder what they will do for national records for extra points?

[double ugly]

What a crock of S**t. This gives the guys an extra second. Get rid of the tracks with insufficient run off (one?). They don't have nitromethane to run but two races anyway because China is the only source of the stuff and they shut down ALL mfg. to clean up their air. God Bless the EPA and our bureaucracy.

[CobraDan]

January 18, 2006
Effective immediately, ANGUS Chemical Company ("ANGUS"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow"), is exiting all Nitromethane-based racing fuel sales, including NITROFUEL™ nitromethane and NM™ nitromethane products, in all parts of the world except National Hot Rod Association (NHRA)-authorized venues in the United States.
The withdrawal of NITROFUEL nitromethane supply outside of the U.S. affects a small number of customers in Europe and Australia. NITROFUEL nitromethane products are currently the only nitromethane fuels produced in the U.S. to meet stringent NHRA manufacturing standards.
The problem is that the official supplier for the NHRA, VP Racing Fuels, evidently is having problems getting enough nitro to meet not only the demands of NHRA drag racers but also supplying other larger and smaller markets that use the chemical.
Part of the problem is the increasing difficulty for anyone to get nitro shipped from China to the U.S. in large quantities. A contributing factor is the withdrawal of Dow/Angus as the sole U.S.-based manufacturer and supplier of nitro for racing a few years back, causing all nitro used for auto racing to be imported from mainland China.

[Don DePontee]

Don Shoemaker has bought enough barrels to supply everyone for the rest of the season if needed. Everyone in top fuel are now warming their cars with alcohol to save what nito they have.
Don

[olddog]

I once worked for the man who is now the CEO of Angus Chemical. We were good friends. I haven't spoke with him for a couple years now.

There are a lot of precausion needed with Nitro. If I recall it doesn't stay mixed and there is a shelf life.

My first guess is that shipping long distances is just more risk than the parent company Dow Chemical is willing to take.

As with China, they have a tendancy to not obide by international law and are always trying to backward engineer everything you sell them, and rip off your design.

[double ugly]

Originally Posted by Don DePontee

Don Shoemaker has bought enough barrels to supply everyone for the rest of the season if needed. Everyone in top fuel are now warming their cars with alcohol to save what nito they have.
Don

After NHRA fined him 100K for having a barrel of the "non approved" fuel he had in his transporter for testing the next week they will have to/did kiss his behind to get him to give up the nitro.
John